Trump to Puerto Rico: You've Thrown Budget 'Out of Whack'

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in a briefing on hurricane recovery efforts with first responders at Muniz Air National Guard Base on Tuesday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(Newser)
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"Every death is a horror," President Trump said Tuesday while meeting with local and federal officials at Muniz Air National Guard Base in Puerto Rico, but other remarks he made weren't quite so heavy. While discussing his administration's response to the devastation on the island, he quipped, "I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you've thrown our budget a little out of whack because we've spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico, and that's fine." The AP reports he was referencing the island's $74 billion in debts and decade-old recession.

CNN notes the president also compared the death toll to that of the much deadlier Hurricane Katrina, telling officials, "You can be very proud ... 16 [dead] versus literally thousands of people." CBS News also notes he had kind words for Puerto Rico's governor—specifically about Ricardo Rossello's own kind words for Trump and the administration's response. "This governor did not play politics," Trump said. "He was saying it like it was, and he was giving us the highest grades." (Read more President Trump stories.)

1,833 people died in Katrina, that is not "thousands". And how many people die isn't determined by the people suffering the catastrophe, but trump's main goal is to fend off any comparisons while quoting his (erroneous) "stats" to make himself look better while blaming one group for his budget issues and any posing any negative reviews of his performance as "politics" . "It's your fault, I did better, I win, people love me, the Governor is a good boy." Sad.

Wanderer

Oct 4, 2017 1:50 AM CDT

Clickbait BS. You should be ashamed of yourself.

O_K

Oct 4, 2017 1:25 AM CDT

Aid for Houston, OK. Florida, no problem. Puerto Rico, that's blown the budget. Is that right? And with 93% without power, half with no potable water and no food going towards two weeks, that's an A-plus job, too?